


Anything but Routine

by firefly124



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Torchwood
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-28
Updated: 2012-08-28
Packaged: 2017-11-13 02:01:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/498214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firefly124/pseuds/firefly124
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had <i>looked</i> like just a routine Rift fluctuation, but Jack should have known better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anything but Routine

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Ascendio/SDCC2012 round at [HPCon_Envy](http://hpcon-envy.livejournal.com) for [Morethansirius](http://morethansirius.livejournal.com) who wanted to see what would happen if the Tenth Doctor, Captain Jack, and Unspeakable Snape all responded to the same crime scene/alien phenomenon/magical occurrence. Set just before “Reset” for Torchwood, between the “Voyage of the Damned” & “Partners in Crime” for Doctor Who, and way after Deathly Hallows for the Potterverse.

It had looked like just a routine Rift fluctuation, so Jack hadn't bothered to wake Ianto or call any of the others. Probably just some random bit of flotsam in need of retrieval, after all. Except it could never be that simple, especially when it was clearly an alien that had come through and a civilian appeared to have arrived first.

A civilian who was apparently not at all put off by the reptilian appearance of the horse-like creature, even when it reared back and spread its wings. Jack had never seen anything like it, and he hoped the standard Torchwood sedative would work on it. It was too beautiful to kill.

“I suggest you move along,” the civilian said, his voice deep and silky, compelling enough that Jack almost obeyed. When he didn't, the civilian continued, “I will return this beast to its home.”

“Nice trick if you can manage it,” Jack replied, stepping forward. “Sounds like you _think_ you know what you're dealing with.”

With a movement Jack couldn't quite follow, the man cast some sort of lariat around the alien's neck. Surprisingly, rather than pulling away, the alien calmed.

“Pity you're able to see it,” the man said as he turned to face Jack. His features were strong, with a nose that promised very interesting possibilities if they could've met under different circumstances. Above his collar, a jagged scar was barely visible. The man radiated danger.

“Why wouldn't I?” Jack demanded as he took another step closer, hand drifting towards his gun though he was oddly reluctant to draw it.

Without a word, the man whipped his arm around, bearing something that Jack couldn't make out at first, though it was obviously a weapon. Jack lunged forward and caught his wrist.

Thin as the man was, he was strong, and Jack couldn't pry the … carved stick? … from the man's grasp any more than the other man was able to break free of Jack. The alien gave a shriek that set Jack's nerves on edge and must, he thought, have been heard for miles.

“Blimey!” a familiar voice came from behind him. “Thestral in downtown Cardiff? And here I thought the old girl just wanted to top up.”

“Doctor,” Jack ground out as he nearly lost hold of the other man's wrist. “Could use a hand here.”

“Why?” the Doctor asked. “Looks like yours are working just fine. You're looking well, too, Severus.”

“You _know_ this guy?” Jack asked as the other man finally stopped fighting him and stilled.

“You still look like Crouch,” the man said, pulling back and shooting the cuffs on his frock coat as Jack released him. 

“Yeah, sorry about that,” the Doctor said. “Can't really control the regeneration process. Otherwise I'd've been ginger at least once by now, believe me.”

“Doctor?” Jack asked, turning so that he could see the Doctor without turning his back on the other man.

“Oh, right! Where are my manners? Very rude of me. Still rude and still not ginger, that's me all around. Right then. Captain Jack Harkness, Unspeakable Severus Snape. Severus, Jack. And before you say another word, Jack, remember what you used to think about Time Lords.”

Jack's mouth snapped shut as the Doctor walked over to the alien … Thestral, apparently.

“Aren't you a beauty?” the Doctor asked. “And such a long way from home. Was it the Rift? Well, had to be, didn't it? It's not like your lot go around getting lost.”

“Are you telling me Thestrals are aliens too?” Snape asked wearily.

“More than just aliens, they're from another dimension entirely,” the Doctor said. “That's why humans can only see them if they've seen death. Transitional quantum states and all that. Shouldn't even be able to slip through the Rift these days, though. Those walls are sealed.”

“Not as well as you seem to think,” Snape replied. “We've been finding more and more of them lately. The herd at Hogwarts has more than doubled in the last few months.”

“When did it start?” Jack asked warily, exchanging a look with the Doctor. 

“Any major political events around the same time?” the Doctor clarified.

“As a matter of fact, we had nearly a dozen come through the day after that lunatic of a Muggle Prime Minister assassinated the American President,” Snape said, his lip curling up into a sneer. 

“The paradox,” Jack breathed.

“Or the breaking of it,” the Doctor added thoughtfully.

“I should've known it had something to do with you.” Snape tucked away his wand and took up the rope holding the Thestral. “Much as I hate to ask, are you able to return them to their home dimension?”

The Doctor's eyes lit up, and Jack wondered briefly if these aliens belonged to the parallel world where the Doctor had said Rose was trapped. Could they return the aliens and rescue her? He'd have to let the team know where he was going this time, of course, but really, that was a mission he couldn't resist. He could feel the familiar rush starting just at the thought. 

“No,” the Doctor said. “I can try to seal the breach, but deliberately traveling through it could only bring more havoc.”

Jack's shoulders slumped. Of course not.

“Then I suggest you do so. While your assistance in the matter of relative dimensions continues to be of great value to the Wizarding World, there is still a limit on how many magical creatures we can keep hidden from the general population.”

“Remind me to get your number,” Jack muttered.

“Ja-ack,” the Doctor said.

“Hey, we had a giant space manatee in need of a home just a few weeks ago. _You_ weren't around. A little networking with people you actually trust with that kind of knowledge could only help next time.”

He saw the wizard mouth “space manatee” and shake his head. Well, Jack would've found it hard to believe if he hadn't seen it himself.

“Had?” the Doctor asked.

Jack winced. “Long story. Didn't end well. Meanwhile, space-time interdimensional integrity issue?”

“Right!” The Doctor clapped his hands together. “Off I go to handle that. Severus, you take the Thestral, but please leave Jack his memory.”

“And your number.” This time Jack added a wink.

“Ja-ack!” the Doctor repeated.

Jack shrugged. He didn't actually mean anything by it, but the man was easy on the eyes after all.

A card materialized in the air about arm's length in front of Jack's face, and he reached up to grab it before it fell, not that it looked like it was going to.

“Neat trick. Sorry I can't reciprocate. Torchwood doesn't really do business cards.”

Snape rolled his eyes. “In the highly unlikely instance that I should require your aid, I believe I should be able to locate you without anything quite so … crude.”

With a grace Jack couldn't help but openly admire, Snape mounted the Thestral and whispered something into its ear.

“Until next time, Doctor.”

The Thestral spread its wings and took to the air. Jack didn't think he'd ever seen anything quite so amazing, and all things considered, that was saying something.

“Until next time, Jack,” the Doctor said, extending a hand, which Jack shook firmly if a bit sadly.

“Any chance you'll stick around longer next time?” Jack asked.

“Any chance you'll come with me this time?” the Doctor asked.

Jack remembered the man he'd left behind sleeping in his bunker and the team that seemed to be barely holding itself together just now. He shook his head though he didn't let go of the Doctor's hand.

“Responsibilities, remember?”

The Doctor nodded withdrawing his hand and placing both in his pockets.

“Could walk you back to your pit stop though, considering the TARDIS is probably sitting on my front door.”

The Doctor's eyes lit up. “Course! And you can tell me what you've been up to. Space manatee?”

“Titanic?” Jack countered not really wanting to share that tale yet. It was still too raw. “Seems your story might be a little bigger, and don't bother trying to tell me you had nothing to do with that very confused Mr. Copper I had to get settled.”

“Oh, how's he doing then? Did you know, he had the strangest ideas about Earth ...”

Jack smiled as the Doctor rambled on and curled his fingers around the card in his pocket. Not just a routine retrieval, but not a bad night after all either.


End file.
